The Concept of Retribution
by GivingItStraight
Summary: Edward is gone and Phil has left Renee. As Bella returns to Phoenix to help her mother and deal with her own abandonment, Laurant has a surprise for her. Paul comes into play later. Read for more! Small plot changes. I own nothing. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is an idea I've been toying with for a while. R/R!**

Chapter 1:

I remembered that it was a sweltering day. Walking down the dark street didn't scare me the way it did when I was younger. I didn't feel emotions very strongly anymore. Not since _He_ had left me. About a week after Sam Uley had carried me out of the woods, I got a call from my mother. She told me that Phil had left her. She sounded distant and detached and I was worried. It's amazing to think that I could see these reactions happening to my mom, but couldn't acknowledge that I was handling things the exact same way. I had my belongings packed and a flight paid for in less than a day. My truck had picked a wonderful time to die. My mother and I have been sharing her Carolla for the last year, both of us too lazy to buy another one. Charlie had seen me wanting to go back to Phoenix as a blessing. He really didn't know how to handle a teenager who stopped wanting to exist, and he thought that me and Renee would heal each other. How wrong he was. If anything, me and my mom grieving together made things worse. She had lost her entire life, and being a teenager, I thought my situation was worse. She had lost a husband, but I had lost a soul mate along with his entire family. So for an entire thirteen months we pulled each other deeper and deeper. We never spoke, never called Charlie. I went to school as a zombie, while she muddled through her job doing people's taxes. It put food on the table and gas lights over our heads, not that we ever actually used them.

This particular day was my High School graduation, and I was walking home. I was still wearing my cap and gown. I had no friends to party with after the event, and my Mother sure as Hell hadn't been there. I had my headphones in and was listening to a song as I walked. What was the name of that song? I do know there had been a kitten. A small white kitten. Well, it had once been white. Its fur had been covered with the grime and dirt of living in the streets. I had seen a small pink nose poking out of its face and a the small meow it gave to me was enough to make me melt. I tried to follow it. I knew my mother wouldn't have let me keep it, but I thought a bath and a nice can of tuna would clear my conscience of this poor creature. I walked past the end of the block and past a small convenience store with a red sign. How could I remember the color of the sign and not what song I was listening to? The kitten turned the corner into the alley before I did. As it disappeared I quickened my pace. I was close to home and I knew it was unwise to go down any alleyway after dark. This was Phoenix, after all.

Turning the bricked corner, I stopped. I couldn't see ten feet into the pitch black of the alley. I waited for a few seconds and heard nothing. Thinking it was safe I called to the kitten.

"Here, kitty. Come on out." Using my high baby voice to try to lure it back into the light. I heard a soft mew come from about twenty feet in. So I stumbled into the dark. I tripped, naturally, over a few scraps of litter every couple of feet and stopped right about where I thought the kitten might be. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as a slight gust of wind hit me from the mouth of the alley. "Kitty?" I called.

" _Isabella"_ The darkness answered.

I was immediately grabbed from behind and shoved into the brick wall to my left. A hand was clamped tight over my mouth long before my mind even registered the idea to scream. Using all of my strength, I threw myself backwards and flailed every inch of my body to try to escape. It only took a couple seconds to realize it was useless. From the voice that said my name, I knew it was a man. But he made it very clear that he could do this all day. I felt no breath on the back of my neck where he should have been panting from exertion. Any normal person would. I started to notice the subtle things that screamed danger. Even more danger than being grabbed from behind in the dark normally screams. His hands were not rough, but rock hard and ice cold. His hand moved not a millimeter as I struggled beneath it. I could partially see the top of his hand under my nose, and it was ghostly pale. The hand that held me to the wall also did not move. Showed no signs of exertion. I could feel the shape of the hand, but it wasn't even pushing. I could breath and I was not in any pain, I simply couldn't escape. I might as well have been trapped between two walls. I could wiggle as much as I wanted, but there was no give in either direction. He didn't say anything for a few moments. As my struggle started to fade, and I became aware that I was either going to die or wish I had, he finally spoke. At the sound of his words I froze, eyes wide.

"I've missed you _Isabella_ ," He spoke my name with an angry hiss. "and you are very lucky that it is me. Do you have any idea what Victoria would have done in this scenario? You would be tied up in the woods by now if it weren't for my suggesting to come instead." Was this really Laurant? "You remember me, yes? Well I have a bit of an experiment I want to try. You will never see me again after tonight. In fact you will probably die. All the others have, haha" He chuckled to himself, the vibrations shaking me slightly. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he tears were falling fast now. I wished he would just get this over with. He removed his hand and replaced it with his entire torso, crushing me slightly. I merely whimpered. "Shh, my _Isabella._ You have nothing to fear but a small amount of pain. I will make sure this goes as quickly as possible." His voice somehow got even quieter as he pressed his lips right to my ear, causing a shudder to pass through me that went unnoticed by my assailant. " _I have a feeling about you. I really hope you survive this."_ I felt a small prick on my arm right above my elbow before his mouth claimed my throat.

Pain. All I could think about was pain. It tore through everything that I knew. Slowly charring me from the inside out. I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. I knew I wasn't moving. I wanted to scream. I wanted to curse the monster that did this to me. I burned for an eternity. I only knew the pain as it grew exponentially with every lifetime that seemed to pass. I couldn't think around it for a long while. I recognized my growing strength when the time started to mean something.

 **Thoughts?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So I have a problem with trying to move a story along at break-neck speed. I'm actually trying to slow this one down a little bit. Have mercy :)**

Chapter 2:

After time caught up with me I spent the next several hours waiting for my heart to stop. It took a while and I had more than enough time to think. I wasn't stupid. I knew what was happening. I was going to be a vampire. I was going to be overwhelmed by bloodlust, and want to kill any human I came in contact with. Through the pain, as my mind grew stronger, ignoring the pain grew easier. I needed to use this time to come up with a plan. I couldn't go home. I couldn't risk being anywhere near my mother. Oh no, Renee. This was going to kill her. I would immediately have to find a phone. I had to let Charlie know that she wasn't going to have anyone. Charlie would be strong for the both of them. He would keep her together. I knew that I could never see either of them again. I pushed those thoughts away. I had an eternity to grieve over my family.

But I couldn't do this myself. No matter how _Edward_ felt about me, Carlisle would never let another of his kind suffer. He would help me. I would have to find the Cullens. With that I had my plan. Now all that was left was for the pain to stop, and to wake up. I could handle this. Think logically. No emotion. Handle the pain. Be strong. I was going to be a vampire. I didn't have to deal with the hurt and anguish. I could just file it away like an unimportant piece of paper to be examined already. I was already aware that my mind had infinitely more space, and it became easier and easier to ignore the pain, physical and emotional as I reached the home-stretch of my transformation.

The pain receded. I knew I was able to move again. I decided not to risk it. There were many parts of my turning that I knew were out of the ordinary. Edward (it was wonderful to be able to think his name without feeling a hole tearing through my chest) had explained to me all of the different frightening things that happened during the change, but even as I was just about to come out of my burning coma, I wasn't experiencing them. I had heard about the scorching fire in my throat. I felt a little heat, but it wasn't even uncomfortable. It was as if it was just reminding me that I needed to drink something. Slightly dehydrated, even. I was told that all I could think about was killing people, but that thought didn't even enter my mind. I could smell human blood. Whether it was mine from being bitten and bleeding, or there was some very close by, I knew it was no more then a few feet away. It smelled good. Delicious even. But I wasn't ready to lash out and grab it. It wasn't even a normal thought.

I could feel that my transformation was complete. All the pain was gone. I felt normal, but different. I felt… powerful. Like I could do anything. I finally opened my eyes. It took me several moments to adjust. When I was ready I sat up to investigate. After a few deep breaths I could finally relax. I had been tensed for the strong urges I was promised to hit me like a brick wall. It became obvious very quickly that this wasn't going to happen. The entire world was new. I could see, smell, taste, and hear everything about life. Looking around I could tell I was in a cellar of some sort. I could hear the outside world. I could smell the salt in the air; there was water nearby. The cellar was dank and dark, but of course this didn't impede any efforts to interpret the space. I could see every particle, hear the air _whooshing_ through the small window in front of where I sat.

I was sitting on a steel table. It was covered in my blood. An identical table was connected to the top where my head was laying. The only difference was it had no blood on it. These images should have bothered me, but I was still filing all of the information away until I was ready to deal with it. This was so convenient. I had no urge to drink the blood that was pooled around me, but I could still acknowledge that it smelled appetizing.

After taking it all in, I turned to address the small neat stack of items at the far end of the clean metal table. I jumped off the counter to go towards it, but stopped cold. Looking down, part of my brain registered that I looked awful, and that I was going to have to make myself more presentable before I was seen by the general public. The majority of my brain, however, was focused on the fact that my feet weren't touching the floor. I was just floating there. Three inches off the ground. It just felt like I was weightless, as if there wasn't anything but the air holding me up. I could see the gray cement floor below me and I wiggled my feet. I found that I could move almost as if I were swimming, but at a faster speed. More like zero-gravity, I suppose. I tried to focus on moving around. As if by instinct, the second I thought about sinking, I did. I had no trouble lowering or raising myself or even moving horizontally in any direction. The disturbing part wasn't that it was second nature and I felt like I could do it in my sleep. It wasn't even the fact that after a few minutes of experimentation, I found that I no longer had the ability to walk. I would have to glide along the ground and move my legs to appear as if I were walking. The most disturbing thing was that this cellar limited the act. I could raise myself higher until the ceiling stopped me. I could whiz in a circle at inhuman speed and stop on a dime. I never had to move my feet and this power acted in the back of my brain. It was as if I had been doing this my entire life. It felt normal. As normal as it could feel when I thought about the fact that I was actually….flying. Holy shit. I could fly. Not only did I already have control over the "Newborn Problems" but I actually got a gift. Flight! I did a couple of flips in the air before I had to refocus. Plenty of time for fun after I got a handle on everything else. Wow, was I easily distracted. This would take some getting used to.

My attention returned once again to the stack of stuff on the table. I shot over to it without a second thought, using my new ability. There were no people, human or otherwise, for me to worry about seeing, so decided I had no reason to be careful. I unstacked everything and laid them out neatly side by side. There was a dress, a pale yellow color that for some reason I actually thought was pretty. There was a small yellow metal lunchbox (Why all the yellow?) along with a sealed envelope. There was neat handwriting on the letter with only three words to read. _Isabella_. _Read immediately._ I could do that. I ripped open the note and read.

 _Dearest Isabella,_

 _I hope very much that you are alive to read this. On the very real chance that this letter is laying next to your body, however, I must keep many things hidden. You must be very confused. There was a purpose for all of this. No doubt that if you are alive, you have discovered that you are special. You can do things that normal people, um, like us, can never even dream of doing. I have given you a little something extra other than our usual procedure for transformation. There is a small bathroom just up the stairs. I do ask that you use it quickly and leave, as I have told the upstairs residents that you would not be there any longer than you had to be. I do hate to threaten people, and you can never be sure if they will do something stupid out of fear. So be quick, My Dear. The lunch pail contains a little "help" to make sure that you don't get carried away, not that I think that will happen. I encourage you to travel to the location where James held you for those terrifying hours so long ago. I will leave your actual instructions there in case, again, that this is not in fact Isabella reading this. I look forward to seeing you again, though you will not see me. I do wish to tell you that through this adventure, you will never be placed in immediate harms way, nor will anyone around you. You have my word._

 _Until next,_

 _Laurent_

That was all very to the point. No beating around the bush, no threats, and no mention of Victoria. I was starting to like Laurant. I didn't trust him whatsoever, but it wasn't like I had a whole lot of options here. All of my confused feelings of pain and fear were still locked up tight for me to get to later, so I braced myself. I grabbed my lunchbox and brand new dress, being careful to keep all traces of blood off of it, and floated towards the door to the stairs across from the window. I wouldn't look back at the room behind. This will be the new Bella. A stronger Bella. Not the weak and frail little girl, but the invincible woman who would get anything who would get anything she asked for, because she had damned well earned it. And she would never again think of her relationship with Edward the same way. Laurent's letter told me that this was only the beginning, and I was going to stop taking no for an answer. I would shower and feel good about my appearance. I would leave my hair down and not cover anything up. I was going to have a little pride for once. And as soon as I was ready, I was going to go to Phoenix. To that little ballet studio that used to haunt my nightmares. And then I would find Laurent, even though he didn't want me to. I would thank him for his incredible gift, and then demand my answers. But one thing was more certain than the rest. I was going to love being a vampire.

 **A/N: The chapters are slowly getting longer and longer. Bear with me. R/R!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Looking in the shabby spotted bathroom mirror was going to be the first time I got a proper look at myself. I decided to not even look until I was washed and dressed. Once all the last bits of filth swirled down the drain after the third battle with the soap. My new strength didn't take long at all to acclimate to. As I held the soap bottles in my hand, I knew without a doubt that I could easily rip the bottle to shreds just by twitching my little finger, but it wasn't a struggle to apply the correct pressure. The hot water didn't do a whole lot for me. My skin was cool, but somehow I knew that it wasn't the chill-inducing cold Edward's had been. It was softer and less marble-like, although it was just as withstanding.

My face was gorgeous. That sounds a little self-centered, but I liked it. My face was a little more pale, but you couldn't see the blood pooling in my cheeks anymore. That was awesome, seeing as I wouldn't have to be embarrassed by it anymore. My hair was glossy and had an auburn tone to it instead of my customary dark brown. My eyes were no longer brown, but they weren't that chilling red either. They were…lilac? A light and soft almost lavender color. Sweet. They complimented my new look and made me look rather harmless. Mixed with the yellow of my new dress, I looked…well…adorable. I looked like a cute high school age girl. This could work for me. I could use this sweet little exterior to get anything from anyone. Plus I could fly. This was the greatest day of my life.

Walking out of the bathroom, I looked into the tiny kitchen. I could sense and smell three humans in the adjacent living room, and I saw the front door to my left. The human's heart rates were accelerated, and they were barely breathing loud enough for even me to hear. I wondered what Laurent had said to them to make them so terrified about what was going to come out of the basement. I bet his presence was enough to do the trick. With my lunchbox in tow, I quietly floated to the door and made my escape.

The tiny run-down house was set on a dock of sorts, looking over a small lake. The entire opposite side of the water was a vast forest, and with my new sight, I saw that it stretched very far indeed. There was a road behind the house, but it was the only thing I could see in that direction. The owners of the house didn't have neighbors, and there was a small white Ford sitting in the front lawn. Ford people. Hmm. They were bound to have a flaw.

I decided to play human, and did my best "walk" around the lake until I entered the woods. I figured I found a small map under the blood bags in the lunchbox and realized I was about sixty miles from where I needed to be. There was a small circle on the map. It would have been pretty cliché if he had written 'you are here', with a dot, but circling it was just fine. My sense of direction was much improved. It was overcast, so I couldn't tell if my skin would react the same way as other vampires. Given all the other things that didn't happen the same way, I doubted it very much. As soon as I headed into the trees, I really let loose. I flew up into the highest limbs of the full pine trees, and let loose all my speed, never even coming close to crashing. I was so happy that all of this was so easy. It was like destiny was hurtling me through my life at full speed to make sure I would come to be a vampire. Or whatever I really was. A weird version of the Cullens that didn't need nearly as much blood, and didn't lose my mind over the liquid, had bright purple irises, deferent skin, and I could _fly._ It was like Laurent had taken all of the problems with being this way and made even those things unbelievably amazing. I hated that I had little control over what was going to happen to me. But I knew that I would forever be in his debt. He had still given me this incredible gift, even if it was only for his experimental purposes.

The small tree branches and crisp cool air felt amazing, I loved being able to still feel temperature and have it not effect me.

It only took about ten minutes to clear the forest, and then another twenty to take back roads and alleys and covering abandoned fields. I made it to the ballet studio faster than I anticipated. I was still forcing my emotions to the far back of my head, but I still felt a small twinge as the human memory came back of James and what he did to me. My immediate reaction was to turn around and walk away from this place. But I couldn't. My answers were here. I pushed open the double doors and came into the small reception area. It was a small room; most of the building was the large studio room behind a large oak door directly behind the reception desk. Acting as human as possible I did my impression of walking and hoped I was passing the test. The Cullens never had to put up with gliding at floor level and moving your legs to simulated walking, that was for sure. I was still completely weightless. If there was any give to the floor at all, I wouldn't even register it. But a human might notice it, so I needed to try to not draw attention to myself. There was a small bell sitting on the desk with the small note underneath. _Ring for Assistance._ That was the human thing to do, right? So I rang it once. _Ding!_

Within a few seconds, the door to the studio opened. I got a brief glance of a class of girls, no older than eight, practicing the demi-plié. It was kind of adorable and I made a slight smile as a larger woman in a red sweater that reeked of perfume came out of the door. It closed behind her, muffling the sounds of the class, and she plopped herself very ungracefully in the computer chair. Without looking at me once during this process, she asked, "Welcome to Ms. Perdue's Dance Center, how may I help you?" That actually stumped me. How was I supposed to go about this? Did I ask if I could look around? Did I tell her I had a little sister in the class, and try to sneak away to find where Laurent had hid my instructions? The thought process took me less then a second to decide to take the direct approach.

Before she even registered that I hadn't answered yet, I responded as sweetly as I could. "I was told a friend of mine was going to leave something here for me to pick up." I offered her a smile when she finally looked my way. She took the appropriate time to be slightly startled by my appearance. After that it was all fear. She didn't look terrified of me, though. Yet another person that Laurent felt he needed to intimidate. Men.

"Is…Is…Isabella?" She stammered out, her heart rate loud enough that I didn't even need extra hearing abilities.

"Yes Ma'am." I replied, still smiling. "I am very sorry if my friend made you feel uneasy. He can be like that. Please know that no harm will come to you from either of us. I take it you have something for me?" If I weren't female, I'm sure that she would have had a heart attack right then and there, but she seemed to calm down a bit when I turned on the cute. She even had a small sliver of pity in her eyes as if to say _how did you get mixed up with the likes of the scary man?_ But she remained silent. Still clearly flustered, she reached into her desk drawer. She never took her eyes off of me. She pulled out a small yellow envelope (again with the yellow), and placed it on the counter in front of her. No way in hell was she going to get any closer. What on Earth was Laurent doing to these poor humans? I stayed as far away from her as possible when grabbing the envelope, so as not to startle her. It was rather annoying to move at a pace even slower that a normal human one. I placed only the very tip of my index finger to the corner and pulled the package back towards me before picking it up. "Thank you very much. I appreciate you helping me. I will make sure that you are very rewarded in the future." I glanced at her nametag. "I love the name Camille. That was my Great Grandmother's name. Have a nice day."

She looked like she was going to cry, but she actually spoke. "You too Ms. Isabella." What a strong woman. But the name sounded wrong to me. _Isabella._ Even Bella didn't sound right anymore. I was a new person, and I needed a new name. one that felt more…me.

"Please, call me Bell." I replied with a smile. I gave her a quick wink over my shoulder and walked back out the way I entered. I would give back to her someday. As well as the family on the lake. I never even learned their names. Well, I knew where they lived. I would never forget that. I walked to the back of the building where it was just starting to get dark, and opened the envelope. Written in the same neat scrawl as the first letter were the words:

 _Dearest Isabella,_

 _I am proud of you. If you are reading this, I am once again so pleased that you are not dead. As no one but you, the Cullens, Victoria and I, know about what happened here, I doubt this letter would fall into the wrong hands, so I can be blunt. Your first instinct, no doubt, would be to go to the Cullens. I wholeheartedly agree. I do not wish to interfere with your life, merely observe your habits, so please do not think I wish to control. I merely suggest that you return to Forks first. I would advise that you do not confront your father, but I know for a fact that some of the answers you are looking for are in the small native tribe to the north. As I have already faked your death with your family, it would seem unwise for you to also be near the prestigious Black family. Seeing as you know their secret however, I would think that they would also be obliged to at least talk with you. They will see that you are not blood-thirsty like normal vampires, and that you do not share the regular eye-color phenomena. Keep an open mind, and try to get them to do the same. They also know the location of the Cullens, as dear Carlisle often tells the leader (Sam, is it?) if and when they ever move, regardless of if it involves Forks or not. I think he does this to give Sam a little piece of mind. Bearing all of this in mind, I hope you continue to grow, my little sunflower, for I have high hopes for you._

 _Fondest wishes,_

 _Laurent_

 _PS: I also wish to put your mind at ease regarding your mother. I want you to know that a nice young man by the name of Phil attended your funeral and has been seeing to her recovery ever since. He seems to care for her very much. Ahh, to be human and in love. In the envelope is a debit card and your identification information to help blend in._

Hmmm. It seems he really does think of everything. I had a new I.D. card with my old high school picture on it, but it had been very well photo-shopped to look more like the new me. My fake name was Sunflower Jackson. Yuck. No wonder he picked yellow for everything. He wanted me to be so goddamned cute and have a name that dripped adorable so that it would be impossible for anyone to not like me. At least he made me twenty-one. That's a plus. I could go anywhere, anytime. Well, I still needed to et in the sun so I could see how my skin reacted. It was Phoenix in June, and I couldn't believe it was actually trying to rain.

I had no idea how I was going to come within six miles of La Push before being ripped to shreds, but maybe if I could find Jake, I could get the rest of them to listen. He didn't hate me too much did he? The pain of that failed relationship was trying to bubble to the surface, but I put it back in its filing cabinet where it belonged. I stepped out into the street and waved down a taxi. I would have to go pick up a cheap phone now that I had money. I wouldn't be able to take taxis all the way there. I might just rent a car. Either way, Washington, here I come.

 **A/N: So I feel like I'm dragging the story a little too long now. Will pick up a bit faster next time. R/R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for sticking around folks. Means a lot. I own absolutely diddly squat.**

Chapter 4:

I found a phone book at a local coffee shop and called a town car. Might as well travel in comfort. The pearl blue Lincoln pulled up within the hour, and I hopped inside. "How close could you get me to Washington?" I asked, ignoring the stare from the man who opened the door for me.

As he got in the front, he replied, "Washington Avenue? Oh that's not too far. About eighty miles, so it might be just a little pricey."

I smiled. "No, Washington State." I said.

His eyes got wide. "Ummm, I have never had to go that far before, and we would be sleeping on the road for a couple days, and you would have to cover all expenses. Not to mention I would need all of the money up front, not including food for yourself. And if you wanted a hotel for yourself, and the tip that I would have to automatically add. Honestly I would just take a plane." He rushed through all of this, but added, "And just for me, I would have you sign a piece of paper saying that you wanted all of this and that I am not trying to kidnap you." He still looked like he might kick me out.

"I will pay for all expenses, including hotel rooms along the way." I said as sweetly as possible.

"O-Okay." He fiddled with numbers on a sheet of paper for a moment. "It looks like its going to be about three big ones. Now one more time, are you sure?"

"Of course. The faster the better. I will give you four grand right now and another thousand upon arrival." I handed over the pretty black card Laurent had given me. "Is this okay with you? I just don't care to fly, but I don't want to keep you from any family needs."

"Not a problem," he said as he swiped my card on his handheld. "no family. Just me." He finally seemed to be on board, if not excited. I didn't doubt that the large tip had something to do with the new attitude. "Look, it's going to be really weird to have you in the backseat the whole way. Feel free to hop up here and we can actually converse on the way if you like? By the way, my name's Eddie." Of course it was. I kept the smile in place as I shook his hand awkwardly over his seat.

"Sounds wonderful, Eddie. It would get a little strange to go the whole way with no conversation. Might as well get to know each other a little. My name is Belle." His heart rate picked up a little, but he seemed friendly enough. So I got out and opened the front passenger side.

"All right Ms. Belle, where in Washington we goin'?"

"Forks." I declared. I never expected to go within a hundred miles of that place ever again.

Four days later, I was getting out of the car along the side of the road about a mile away from Charlie's house. "This is where you want to get out? Here? It's a ways away from anything." My new friend Eddie looked past me to the dense forest on either side of us.

We had actually got along very well on the ride, and apart from looking a little too happy when our skin would accidentally brush, he was a perfect gentleman the entire way. Even after he found out I was "21" years old. "No, this is perfect. There's a small path just there that leads to the place." I vaguely gestured to the woods on the left side. He squinted, trying to see it. I took the opportunity to reach back in and swipe my card again myself. He looked back just as I charged myself another two thousand and backed back out.

"He-Hey! That's completely unnecessary! You paid for way more than enough already!" He tried to type a few keys on the pad.

"That is for the good company. You earned it. Don't spend it all in one place, Eddie. Good luck." And with that I closed the door and walked right into the forest, lunchbox and new yellow jacket in tow. I figured if Laurent saw it, he would appreciate it. Even though I hadn't seen the Cullens in over a year, I had already inherited their frivolity with money. Well, I suppose some of it was giving it away, so…generosity? Eh, it didn't matter.

Now was the time to focus on the task at hand. The goddamned wolves. I would head straight to the line, not going anywhere near Charlie. The temptation just to look in on him was strong, but I squashed it, knowing it would only cause me pan. Especially since Charlie thought I was now dead. I would have to ask Jake for news regarding him. With the exception of Jacob, I had no interest in having any contact with the Quileute tribe. From what Edward explained to me, I knew roughly where the treaty line was. I was pretty sure that if I got close enough to the border, at least one of the wolves would sense me and come. I just had to make sure I was on the right side of the line. Once I was confident that I couldn't be seen from the road, I hovered above the ground and shot through the trees. I got about a half mile away from my destination when I slowed to a human pace. I was still having way too much fun with this whole flying thing. I got right to about where I knew the border was. The smell of wolf was getting stronger.

The smell wasn't as I expected. I knew from both sides that vampires and wolves smelled horrible, but it wasn't. I could easily tell it was a wolf smell, but it just smelled earthy, like freshly plowed dirt, mixed with new rain. It wasn't unpleasant at all, let alone revolting. All I did was wait. I lowered to the ground completely and sat on the damp ground. I didn't have to wait for long. When I heard the rustle of approaching company, I decided to remain seated to lower any threat.

They emerged from the trees about two minutes later. They were walking, six great huge wolves. Sam was leading them, of course. Jared and Quil were hovering out towards the edge of the group, lookin anxiously between Sam and I. On Sam's direct right was Jake. There was a small tan colored wolf in the far back who I had no name for. On Sam's left, I could only assume it was Paul. The silver wolf was growling and spitting, making a real scene. I decided acknowledging Paul wasn't going to solve anything. I kept my gaze on Sam, occasionally sparing a glance at Jake. I couldn't get any emotions from his wolf face. No doubt in my mind he knew who, and what, I was.

Sam was clearly waiting for me to speak first. I decided to try for nice. "Hello Sam. By now of course you know who I am. I will not come onto your land whatsoever. I merely wish to speak with you. If you decide after that you want me to leave forever, of course I will, but I must insist on at least a small conversation. I came here looking for answers." I waited for a response. Sam glanced back at Jacob and together they slowly backed away. The other wolves waited patiently. Quil let out a small whimper. Paul promptly turned and snapped in his direction. He hung his head in shame.

"Hey Quil. No matter what happens, I have missed you." His ears perked slightly, but other than that, he gave no indication of having heard me. Paul was furious. He turned to me and growled low from his gut. If he weren't already in wolf form, he would have phased then, without a doubt. I watched him only through my peripheral vision. I didn't spare him a full on look. I had no interest in starting a fight.

Sam and Jacob emerged from the trees, wearing boarding shorts and nothing else. Jacob was looking everywhere else but my face, whereas Sam was staring intently into my eyes. He wasn't an idiot. He could tell I looked different than the Cullens. He stopped about five feet away from me. I must have been much closer to the boundary line than I thought.

"State your business Cullen. I am not a patient man." He seemed to be putting in an effort to keep calm. Jacob was slightly trembling.

"I will be as frank as possible. I know your pack has things to attend to. I was turned into a vampire a few days ago. But I have not seen the Cullens since the day before you found me in the woods a year ago." He huffed slightly, as if to say he didn't believe that. I continued. "I was in phoenix when another vampire I had met a couple of years ago came to find me. The one with dreadlocks that you chased out of town. He said I was going to be special. He changed me. But as you can see I am not normal. I do not need hardly any blood to survive. A few sips every few days. Humans do not tempt me. I smell them, but I have no urge to harm them. My eyes are not red, they are purple. I discovered on my way here that my skin has a fain glow in sunlight, but not the diamond sparkle as the Cullens. I have a good amount of abilities that normal ones of my kind do not, and I simply came here hoping that you might know what is happening to me. I also wanted to share these things with you so that you could be aware of everything about me." I only threw that last part in there so that it looked like there was something to be gained from this as well. It felt good to be able to tell all of this to anyone, even if it was to a group that was supposed to be my enemy.

He seemed to contemplate this for a moment. He looked at Jake and they held a silent conversation. "This is very new to us, you must understand. You seem to be acting like the Bella some of us remember, and we do appreciate you keeping with the agreement put in place, even in the absence of the Cullen clan. But this is uncharted territory. We have never encountered a being such as you. You certainly are different. While we cannot deny that, we cannot permit you to cross onto our land."

"I completely understand. That was not my wish, I merely came for some answers. I know that I wish to find the Cullens before too long, but I wanted to make sure I at least found out some information about myself first. I did not come as an imposition. Merely, I just wanted to see if your old legends could shed some light for me. If I wanted to cross your borders unharmed, I could have, but I do respect you."

Jacob finally looked at me long enough to speak. "How could you possibly think that we couldn't harm you if you crossed? Is it because of the way we used to be? Because that's over Bells. You picked your side."

It was my turn to get angry. "Chose? You think I chose this? I waited for months after moving to help my Mother, and to try to cope from my own loss! I called you every day for two months before I left, even after I found out about your furry little situation. You rejected me! You made my decision for me long before I was attacker by Laurent in an alley. You think I wanted this? You think I asked him to do this? Think before you open your trap, Jacob. I waited for you. I didn't throw my phone in a river when I went to Phoenix. I made sure I still had a way for you to contact me. I would have been on the next flight back, bringing Renee if I had to. Don't you dare judge me. And I didn't say I would fight you, I just said that I could have crossed your lines. I have very good evasion tactics." The anger left his face quickly, replaced with shame. He looked back to Sam, almost as if to see if I should be trusted now.

"The fact is you are a vampire now. You will always be the enemy. There is no way around it now." Sam said, taking my attention back to him.

"Sam, how do I smell?" I asked suddenly, remembering the other thing I wanted to know.

"What?" He asked, confused by the turn in the conversation.

"I know from the Cullens that we smell repulsive to you, and vice versa. But you don't. Not to me, anyways. I can smell that you are different, but it's not a bad smell. I was just curious if it was the same way on the other end." It was then that Paul decided he would take the bullet himself, lunging forward a foot or so closer to me. "Paul, no!" Sam's alpha order stopped him in his place. I did everything in my power not to smirk. The little puppy, put in his place.

"Bella-." Sam started.

"It's Belle now, I needed a new identity."

"Fine. Belle. I don't think you are lying. And I have decided that I will go to the Counsel and I will ask them your questions."

I let a smile fill my face. "That's wonderful Sam, thank you."

He put his hand up. "Hang on. I have a problem. You seem to think that you have some way to get past our borders. I am taking a very large leap by believing a single word you say, so I think we need a little trust on your part as well."

I thought about this for a moment. I didn't see any harm in it, and I had been dying to show another person this. I finally stood up.

"You may show us, but that does not mean that you can cross our borders." Sam amended.

"I wouldn't dream of it." and with that, I rose into the air. I rose steadily until I was right to the top of the tree line. Then I gracefully slid back down and hovered just an inch over the ground, my toes dangling to just brush the tips of the fallen leaves. I thought Sam was going to pass out, so I decided to break the ice.

"Sam, I will not use this gift to double cross you. I will not go near your land, nor will I harm anyone in it. You have my word. I only showed you so that it is all out in the open. I have no secrets." I knew that the wolves have always had this super-suspicion of anything and everything, but I really hoped they weren't going to be obnoxiously stubborn about this.

"Well, you will excuse me if I cant take you completely for your word. I will leave you with two guards while the rest of us go to meet with the elders. Seth! Phase back and stay with Paul. Paul! Stay wolf. Keep your attitude in check. No crossing the line. Jared, Jacob, Quil, with me. We will be back within the hour."

As he was turning away I asked. "Sam? How much money would I have to pay you to take Paul and leave one of the others?" I kept the sweet smile in place. Jacob and Sam both let a small grin slip. Paul growled.

The small brown wolf had disappeared and returned a boy in shorts by then. He was tall and muscular for sure, but he couldn't have been near Jacob's age. Maybe thirteen at most. But he did look sweet, he even offered me a small smile as the rest of the boys turned and left.

Over his shoulder, Sam called. "Seth will keep you from getting killed, but Paul isn't a pushover." Haha very funny. I would find a way to get him back for this one.

I smiled at Seth. "Hello. My name is Belle. It's nice to meet you."

He gave me a big grin. I was going to like him. "Hi Belle! I'm Seth." I didn't think it was possible for the wolf form of Paul to look even angrier, nor growl louder. "Oh, don't mind him, his bark his worse than his bite. Well, his bite is still pretty bad, but he just has a temper. It was really cool of you to not piss off Sam. You handled all this paranoid crap really well."

"Oh Sam is just looking out for his family. I can appreciate that."

"Well, you should know, Jacob was always thinking about calling you back. He tore himself up about it for months. Last week he got the news that you had died. It took an order from Sam to not run off and do something stupid. It may not look like it, but he is so happy you are still alive… in a way." He added with a chuckle. The growling was getting louder the more he spoke. It was getting harder and harder to appreciate what this sweet boy was saying with this animal in the background.

For the first time all day, I looked Paul square in the eyes. "Look Paul. I get it. You hate me. In less than an hour, I will be out of your life and you will never see me again. Stop being such an…such an…" I had no more words. Our eyes connected, and all I could see were the massive silver orbs looking back at me. We were the only two beings in the universe, and my reason for living had finally been found. His eyes lost all anger, and all of the emotions that I had been holding back came rushing to the center of my brain. But it was irrelevant. I didn't feel the pain, or the sadness. Paul. Just Paul. He let out a soft whimper and sank to the ground, never leaving my eyes.

"Oh, shit." Seth whispered. "No, no no."

What the hell was happening?

 **A/N: Thoughts? R/R!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here it is. I had to wait at the airport for six hours tonight, so i got a bunch typed up. Hope you like it. I own nada.**

Chapter 5:

There was a solid five minutes where all we did was look at each other. It looked like he was fighting something hard, and I was close behind. Why do I have this sudden pull this this prick. Did Laurent see this coming? I knew nothing about Paul, but I suddenly wanted to. I wanted to know anything and everything about this stranger, even though I knew he hated me. But after those strange moments of silence, his expression shifted. He was gazing softly back at me, like I was the only person in the world. And I liked it. What the hell is going on? Could I fight this urge? Did I want to?

"Paul. I know you might be confused, but please don't kill her." Seth finally spoke. I was actually startled to find him sitting there. I had completely forgotten about his existence. With that declaration, Paul promptly stood and walked slowly back into the trees, only to emerge a minute later in the shorts that were the wolf uniform. Did any of them wear shirts? How was I supposed to concentrate. Everyone that came out of the woods was hotter than the last. It was frustrating.

"I wouldn't hurt her even if she fucked every vampire from here to Canada." Was that supposed to sound like a compliment? He even went as far as to offer me a big smile. What an asshole. Did he think that was funny? Romantic? Oh wait, he hated me. He could very well just be being a dick.

"Excuse me?" I was slightly fuming. This man honestly thought I was sleeping with vampires all across the state. It was in that moment that the realization hit me. The one human experience I didn't think I was going to lose. I was still a virgin. In my entire human life I had never had sex. I always thought of it as inevitable. That at some point before my transformation, even when I was hoping for it, we would have had sex first.

I was lost in thought and I most definitely must have looked a little sad, because Paul did the unthinkable. He apologized to me.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold on there Sunshine, I was just joking." I was only vaguely aware of the new nickname, still too deep in my thoughts. How could I have missed so many human experiences? I would never have a child, I would never be walked down the isle by my father. I would never find a human man and settle down to live the golden years on a porch. No iced tea and cookies for me. I was supernatural now. Immortal. I would live forever and stay the same. My eyes watered at all the things I finally acknowledged I lost.

Paul took it the wrong way, as men will do. "Are you crying? I really didn't think it was that bad. I'm sorry."

I couldn't believe he was being nice to me, but he was being self-centered about it. "Not everything is about you, Paul. Don't you think that this whole changing thing might be a little hard for me? Not like you even care, so just drop it and leave me alone." it felt good to say, even if it was a little childish.

Paul then stepped it up a notch, clearly intent on surprising me all afternoon. He strolled right across the line and came straight to me. He moved so quickly, I had no time to react. He grabbed my shoulders with both of his massive, calloused hands and, roughly, pulled me to his chest. He put his arms around my waist and I had no choice but to except it. He was hugging me. Well, holding me would be a better term. Holding me tightly, but also like I might break. I had never been held like this in my life. Not by Edward or even Jacob, who was always so good at comforting. He leaned down and I felt his hot breath at my ear. "I care now." And with that he released me, far sooner than I would have liked, and crossed back to his side of the line. He sat down and crossed his arms. He glared over at Seth. "If you ever…"

Seth immediately put up his hands and cut off his threat. "Wouldn't dream of it. No one would believe me if I did." Paul thought this over and the smile returned to his face as he realized the truth behind his brother's words.

"Hmm. I guess you're right." He chuckled, tossing a small pebble in Seth's direction. Watching them interact this way was nice. Peaceful. I didn't want it to end. The only thing I wanted was for the boundary to disappear so I could be with Paul. Okay, I really needed to cut it out. It was unhealthy to get attached in the span of fifteen minutes. The little voice in the back of my head wanted to know why it was wrong? He has clearly shown at least a little interest. Why did it have to be a horrible idea to have my own interests? _Because you are still hoping for Edward to want you back when you find them._ No! I was done with Edward. He had left me, and Paul may be an ass, but this feels different. I already felt like I had known him longer than anyone in my entire life, let alone the measly months spent with Edward. He could look me in the face right now and swear his love for me, and it wouldn't even occur to me to take the offer. That was over. Maybe Paul was the future, maybe not. The two men were completely isolated incidents. I could see how things progressed without having to feel guilty. _Whatever you say._

Thank god that at that moment was when Sam and the others returned. He was the only one in human form. Quil, Jared, and Jacob were in wolf form. Jacob looked like he was trying to face Sam, but he was struggling too much.

"Belle." He was angry.

"Sam." Was all I could reply. I thought I could vaguely understand that face.

"The elders have spoken. You are too much of a threat. A liability. It has been decided that you must be destroyed. I tried to talk them out of it. They were adamant. I am so sorry." The sad part was, I knew he was. The apology was written all over his face.

I was just about to speak before all hell broke loose. Paul leapt over the line for the second time that day to stand facing Sam. He pushed me behind him with his arm. I was so touched I almost forgot to be afraid. Could I even fly fast enough to get out of their reaches in time?

"No one can touch her. She is mine." Paul's chest heaved as he spouted the oddly worded phrase. Is it weird that even that claim of ownership was music to my ears?

"Paul, I will be doing this alone. No one else will have this on their conscience, no matter how much they hate vampires." Wow, did Sam misread the situation. At least I hoped he had.

"I didn't mean she was mine to kill. I mean she is mine forever. I imprinted."

"Very funny Paul." Sam let out a small chuckle. "But we all know you can't imprint on someone who can't bear children."

"She is mine." It was barely a whisper.

I grabbed Paul's arm. "Please don't fight over me. I don't know what imprinting is, but I'll go. I will leave and no one will ever hear from me again." I couldn't believe how saying the words felt like the highest form of blasphemy to my soul. It wasn't that I didn't want to leave Paul, it was that I didn't think I could. Not when I had him here, touching me.

"No!" He growled. He turned to completely face me, and took my face in his hands. He crushed his lips to mine. The world exploded. It was like we had done this a hundred times. Our mouths joined in a perfect harmony and it was filled with raw passion. It drew a low moan from me as he deepened the kiss further. I felt his tongue invade, and it reached the very tip of my toes. I couldn't get enough. One hand left my face and wrapped protectively around my waist. It was a perfect. I was whole again. I would go anywhere. Do anything. As long as this man was leading, I would follow.

And then it was over. He pulled back and just rested his forehead against mine. I had no need for the air, but I was gulping it down, as if to catch my breath. He was just as flustered. Without opening his eyes, or loosening his hand from my hair, he whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you."

He released me, and my entire body immediately missed his. This entire situation was still blowing my mind. Did he really feel the same connection I did? Were we already here? Once again I was too deep in the moment, forgetting that our little episode had an audience. I looked up and was thankful I no longer blushed. Apparently I still giggled though. I let a small one slip and covered my mouth apologetically. Paul gave me a quick smile and took my hand. Then he turned back to Sam, a heartbroken look in his eyes. "Sam…" Was it just me, or did Paul sound close to tears? It was too far out of character. Almost reflexively, I put my arms around his waist to keep him from falling over. He closed his eyes again, leaning in to kiss the top of my head. If I hadn't have been so worried if Paul was okay, there would have been a Belle sized puddle on the floor. "Sam… I can't live without her."

The words floored me. We had met today. Today! And we were already at a place, that we could be this intimate with each other. It was exciting, and terrifying at the same time. I was exited that Paul might feel the exact same heart-wrenching things I was feeling, but terrifying because of how fast my own feelings were moving.

Our eyes locked for a minute more before we both looked back at Sam. "Fuck. Well…the imprint law is the highest above all others. Belle, we will explain everything back at my house. This is a very special circumstance. But I am the Alpha, and that means I have more than enough authority to make the decision. You are part of the family now, and the Quileute tribe welcomes the first ever vampire onto their lands. But if you should ever be in contact with the Cullen clan, this does not apply to them. Do I make myself abundantly clear?" He rushed through this entire speech without even pausing to take a breath. It caught me so off guard, it took me several moments to collect a response.

"Ummm." Wow. I'm a genius. Let's try that again. "I already told you that I did not come here to cross your border. If that is what you wish, and Paul too, then of course I will. Please let your elders know that I do not take this lightly, and I am available to them for any form of questioning whenever they like." Sam was more than agreeable to this as I took my first steps onto Quileute land as a vampire. We were to walk to his and Emily's house and discuss all of the little details. But something still bugged me. "Hey Sam!"

He turned to look back at Paul with his arm around my shoulder, neither of us quite ready to let go yet. "Yes?"

"You never answered me before. About the smell. Do I smell the same as other vampires?"

Sam merely looked at the man to my right and nodded, then proceeded to walk away. "Paul?" I asked, suddenly not so curious.

"Sunshine, if you smelled even one tenth as bad as a Cullen leech, I never would have let eye contact happen. I don't know how it is for everyone else, but you smell like the most wonderful bouquet of flowers I have ever come across." He highlighted the comment by taking in a huge whiff of my hair. I was about to call him a liar when I remembered something.

"You know, you keep calling me Sunshine, and you just compared me to flowers." I giggled out as we trailed farther and farther behind the group.

"What's your point?" He faked offense.

"Here. Look at this." I pulled out my new fake I.D. to show him.

"You're kidding. Sunflower. Your fake name is Sunflower."

"You don't like it?" It was my turn to fake an injury.

"On the contrary. I like it a thousand times better than Sunshine. From now on, you are my little yellow Sunflower. My little flower that eats people, and has scary purple eyes.

I smacked his arm. "I do not eat people! And you wish you could have a cool eye color." I shut my eyes and stuck my tongue out. It was very grown-up.

He took advantage of the new opportunity to grab me. I let out a small squeal as he pulled me to a small spot just out of earshot of the group. He pushed me back until my spine came in contact with a tree trunk. As I was pressed between the tree and Paul, I had zero objections when he used his upper hand to pull my mouth to his. I could do this every single minute for the rest of eternity, and it still won't have been long enough.

 **A/N: Thoughts? R/R**


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